With new Skype adaptors, Grandma can now Skype you from her landline

Since it launched in 2003, the Luxembourg based Skype has secured itself as the preferred application choice for VoIP global communication. The now Microsoft-owned company lets Skype users message, talk and video chat with each other in addition to offering low Skype calling rates. Currently, Skype works on connected devices including computers (PC, Mac or Linux), iPhone, iPad, Android smartphones and even Skype-enabled HDTV.

Today, Skype is taking one step back from its futuristic phone plans and targeting users who still rely on good old landlines with its FREETALK Connect•Me Home Phone Adaptor, which lets users take advantage of free Skype to Skype calling as well as low-cost Skype calling from their home telephone. To use the FREETALK Connect•Me Home Phone Adaptor, users need to first purchase the adaptor (pictured below) and then connect it into their existing phone. So, now Grandma can Skype you from her home phone to your computer while you’re Facebooking and Tweeting.

“Our mission is to make Skype available everywhere so consumers can enjoy conversations whenever and wherever they are,” said Neil Stevens, Skype’s vice president and general manager for product and marketing. “We are delighted to have partners that help us deliver on this mission through the introduction of new products like Connect•Me. Now, using Skype at home is as simple as picking up a handset and dialing.”

FREETALK Connect•Me Home Phone Adaptor Bundles include:

• More than 60 minutes of complimentary free calls to landlines and mobiles via Skype ($39.99)
• 12 months of calls to landlines and mobile phones in the U.S. and Canada and 200 minutes of calls to international landlines and mobiles ($59.99)
• 3-month Unlimited World subscription to the US and Canada plus landlines in 40 other countries ($59.99)

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Skype has been certifying third-party hardware for years such as the ASUS VideoPhone, Grandstream and RTX Dualphone. According to Skpye, “the FREETALK Connect•Me adaptor, which can store up to 100 speed dials/Skype contacts, only requires a PC for the initial set up. Cord and cables to connect to home phones and to the Internet are included in box. To use it, all a consumer needs is a broadband Internet connection and a home phone. This means that once set up, they don’t have to turn on their computers to connect with friends and family through Skype. If the user wants to make a call using their traditional landline, the FREETALK Connect•Me Adaptor allows them to choose that option as well.” In addition to this new device, Skype is also selling a Skype edition GE Cordless phone (pictured below) featuring a Skype calling interface and integrated Skype contact list.

Check out the products and further pricing information for the FREETALK Connect Me adaptor and GE Cordless Phone at the online Skype Shop.